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AN ANCIENT HOMILY FOR HOLY
SATURDAY
"What is happening? Today there is a great silence over
the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because
the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because
God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping
from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld
has trembled.
Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep;
he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner
Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam's son.
The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross.
When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast
in terror and calls out to all: 'My Lord be with you all.' And
Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’
And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake,
O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you
light.
‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for
you and your descendants now speak and command with authority
those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light,
and those who sleep: Rise.
‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be
held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am
the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise,
you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for
you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.
‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master
took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the
heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became
as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left
a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified
in a garden.
‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because
of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing
at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in
order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.
'See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse
the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands
nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched
out your hand to the tree for an evil one.
`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who
slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side
healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from
your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was
turned against you.
‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of
the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise,
but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which
was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life.
I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now
I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.
"The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are
ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is
provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness;
the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of
heaven has been prepared before the ages."
From the Office of Readings for
Holy Saturday |
Saturday,
23 April
